Musk's company started selling satellite Internet in Vietnam
On the morning of August 13, Starlink's availability map in the Vietnam region displayed the status "Available now". The service's official fanpage also runs ads with content introducing "high-speed, stable" Internet with speeds that can reach more than 340 Mbps and directed to the online ordering website.
When accessing, users in Vietnam can fill in the address to check and place an order. According to the information on the site, the service is "no contract", offers a 30-day trial, and devices are "delivered in 1-2 weeks". However, the registrant must provide identification information for use.
Starlink currently offers two packages for individual users in Vietnam, including the Family package with maximum speed of 100 Mbps, subscription price of 1,131,990 per month, and the Family package with maximum speed, price of 1,711,100 VND. Meanwhile, the Business package is priced based on capacity.
Additionally, users will have to purchase the device, with two options including Standard 4 Twitter and Mini. In particular, the Mini version costs 8,655,300 VND, with a transceiver weighing 1.1 kg, and an average power consumption of 25-40 W. The device has a built-in router and was introduced by Starlink to suit the needs of compact Internet use, low power consumption, and can be easily carried.
Meanwhile, Standard 4 Twitter is larger, weighs 2.9 kg, consumes an average of 75-100 W and costs 10,269,900 VND. This set comes with a Router 3 that supports Wi-Fi 6. Both are designed to operate in strong winds above 96 km/h and are waterproof.
Thus, to start using Starlink satellite Internet, users in Vietnam must spend a minimum of nearly 10 million VND, not including shipping costs. Payment can be made by bank card or Zalopay.
Starlink is a satellite Internet service developed by SpaceX, owned by billionaire Elon Musk. The system connects the user's device to a low orbit (LEO) satellite, then transmits data through a ground station to access the global Internet.
In Vietnam, Starlink was licensed by the Ministry of Science and Technology to provide satellite telecommunications services in February. In the first phase, the service was deployed with four gateway stations and up to 600,000 terminals.
This is considered "a piece of the puzzle that completes Vietnam's high-quality digital infrastructure ecosystem". Services providing broadband Internet at sea, in the air and in especially difficult areas with few people living, where fixed and mobile networks are difficult to access.
"Starlink is an effective backup channel when the terrestrial network system has problems in natural disasters or disasters," said a representative of the Department of Telecommunications.
However, the service is also considered to be more expensive than domestic fixed and mobile packages, the initial cost is large, while the access speed is theoretically smaller than traditional services.
VnExpress's survey at the beginning of the year showed that 74% of the 8,500 participants did not plan to use Starlink because the terrestrial telecommunications service had already met the demand. Meanwhile, 15% said they have a need, while 11% are considering it.
Luu Quy